Electric ball game.



J. F. SMILEY. BLBGTRI'G BALL (man. A1P'LIOATIOX FILED 11H0. 30, 1909.

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APPLICATION FILED DEO. 30, 1909.

988,829. Patencea'Apr.4,1911. v

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JOI-IN F. SMILEY, F LOUISVILLE, KENTU'GKY.v

ELECTRIC BALL GAME.

To ail ywhom it may concern:

lic it .known that I, JoiiN Ii. SiiiLnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county ot Jefferson and' State of Kentucky, have invented lcertain new and useful Iniln'fveiuents 'in Electmc' Ball Games; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such will` enable others v :skilled in the art to which it apperta-ins to` make and use the saine.

This invention relates to an elect-ric ball ame especiallydesigned for use as a score 21) plays made during the progress of the gaine be. reproduced or indicated in a general way uponthe board, but the position and courses of the players in running bases, catching -iiy balls to the ont-field, etc. indicated, thereminute feature of the gaine rroin' the beginning to the Vcompletion of the game.

In carrying 'out the invention, 'the several switches of the switch hoard are preferably 3o provided with adjustable shoes to enable them to engage either of two concentric v .series of contact buttons on the switch hoard or to travel in a zigzag or other course not in the arc of a circle. The 'purpose of this 'j construction will" be niorc fully disclosed,

however, in the body ot' the specification.

In 'the'accornpanying drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic view, showing the score board, the operating switch and the various 40 connect-ions between Ithe switch and score board, with certain of the circuit wires omitted to avoid confusionj Fig. 2 plan vien/',ofa fragment of the board, showing. .one of the switches for controlling the bases;

4,5 Eig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 et Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan yiew of a' portion of the switch board, showing more .particularly one o :tl the main switches, the dotted lilies indicating a second :position of the switch; Fig. 5 is a.vertical v f switch lever.

. `sectional View taken on the line of Fig. 4'; Fifi' G is a detail transverse sectional view in the line -G ofFig. 4; Fig. '7 is a detail perspehtiie View of aportion of the r Referring to the drawing for a more pari Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed De@ "aber 30, A1909. Serial No, 535,587..

Patented Apr. 4, 1911'.

ticular description of the invention, the nlnneral l-indicates the score board proper, and 2 the switch board which may be disand the may be placed wit-hin a building h rom eac other outside at a point remote other as may be deslred.

In carrying out the invention,- a series of lights 3 are arranged in the form of a dia- 4mond upon the face ofthe score board 1, said lights being white and red and being arranged in alternating relation throughout the entire series, the numeral 4 indicating the white lights. and 5 the red lights. During the progress of 4lights are used to indicate the position of the players which are gunning the bases of one team, while the red lights are used for the ol'iposingl tealnf- The score board is further provided, directly inlrea'r. of said diamond, is a pair of white and red lights .indicating the catcher. In the center of the 8 and 9, which are used to indicate the pitchers ot the opposing teams. The score board is further provided with White and red lights 104 and 11, indicating the'first 'basen'ien' for the opposing teams,the white and red lights 12 and 13 indicating the sec- -red lights 16 and 17 indicating the home plate. The score board is further provided with three series of'white and red lghts18, 19 and 20, the lights of each series being arranged in alternating relation vand-each set Aoit lights of' each series indicating the position and"course taken by one of the outfielders of a team during the progress of the gaine. The series indicated by the numeral 18 may be used for the right iiclders, the series inarlredlQ for the center fielders, andthe series indicated by the numeral'2() the left ielders.l

.The switch board` 2 is provided with two 22` respectively, the inside series of buttons the diamond shaped vseries `on .'thescore board, and the outside series of buttons 21 'with the White lights of said series. A.

inner ends upon thebolt24, which passes through the switch board 2, it being understood vtliat3-ead` bolt islocated at the lposed at any desired point, for instance, onev diamond, is a pair ofwhite and red lights' 22 being connected with the red lights ofv series of switch arms 23 are vpivoted at their Y the gaine, the white of white and red lights G and' 7, respectively,

ond baseincn. the lights 14 and 15 indicatling the third basemen. and the white vand concentric series of contact buttons 21 and common center for the circles described by the two series of buttons 21 and 22. Each of the switch .arms is in the form of a flat lmetal strip provided at its outer end with an extensible section 24, provided w1th the contact shoe 25 and the finger piece V26 which is grasped `by .the operator to swing the switch arms from oneposition to another. The adjustable sections ot the switch arms may be uretained in either of their two positionsby the thumb nuts 27 which .screw upon the threaded studs 28 thereby make v and break the circuit through the white and red lights ofthe series indicated by the numeral 19. The contact buttons 33 correspond in number to the .red

lamps of the series 19 and each of said vbuttons is individuallyl connected with one -side of its corresponding lamp by the circuit vwires 35. For the sake of clearness and to avoid confusion, but one of the circuit wires 35 hasbeen shown in Fig. 1. The' outer series Q f contact 4buttons 34 are connected .by as many circuit' wires 36, with the red lamps of the series` 19 and control the circuit through said lamps, as will be obvious.

A second lset ofsecondary switch arms 37' and 38 are adapted to engage the contact buttons 39 and 40 and control the circuit through the series o f lamps indicated by the numeral 18, the contact but-tons' being connected with :the white and red lamps of said seriesby the circuit wires 41 and 42, respectively.` A third set of switch .arms 43,' and 44 aremounted on the switch board, to control the circuit through the white and redlampsof the series designated .by the numeral 20, the wiring `zbe- Isaidv levers, being the .same as heretofdre described. Other switch `armsy47, 48, 49, 50,

" of the team, designated bythewhite lamps,

is at the hat, the contact shoeof onefof the l main switch arms is moved into engagement with the contact button 53 of the outer series of buttons 2 1. If the batter makes a Sin- 34, and.

gle, the switch arm isswung in the arc of av circle until,4 its cont-act shoe engages the Contact button 54, and during the operation of moving said switch arm from its first position to the contact button 54, the white lamps of the series between the home plate and first base will be successively illum1- nated and extinguished, thus indicating the progress of the batter from the home platey to first base. Should the batter drive the ball to the center iield, the switch ar'm 32 will be swung in the are of acircle to successively illuminate and extinguish the white lamps of the series indicated by the numeral 19, it being understood that this switch arm will be swung in .the proper direction to denote the course taken by the center fielder in catching or attemptingr to catch the ball. The same principle is carried out if the ball is driven to either the right -or left field. The switch arms 47 to 52, inclusive, are used to indicate the catchers, pitchers, etc., of the opposing teams andconsequently there isbut two buttons employed in `connection with each of said levers. If desired, the secondary switch arms 31, 3T, 38, 4Q. 43 and 44 may be provided with extensible sectionsy s uch as elnployed in connection with the main switch arms 2?, and the several series of contact buttons with which they engage may be arranged in zig-zag or lother relation to more clearly denote the course of the center fielders in catching the ball. It will be further understood that any number of contacts and lamps may be used -n each series, the present number being merely for the sake of illustration. 4.The main feed wire 55 is connected. with the pivot bolt 24 in any well known manner. while the seveixal secondary levers may be connected with thnpiyot bolt by the branch wires 56'indi cated by"`the dotted lines in Fig. 1. VAssuming the shoe of the switch lever 44 to be in engagement with the contact button 57, the circuit will pass from the pivot bolt 24 through t-he branch wire 26, switch lever 44 and contact 57 to the wire 5.8, and by p described my inventiomwhat I claim is:

In an electric score board, a score hoard ineans of the wire 58 to the red lamp 59,-

tudinally extensible member having a conproper provided with series of lamps of different, colors arranged by the center,

with. the lamps Aof one color alternatin with those of the other color, o. switch boar provided withtw'o concentric series of con-A 1 tact butt-ons,'connections between one series of Contact buttons and one set of lmnps, other connections between the other series of contact. buttons and the other set of lamps, a plurality of switch arms pivoted atthe center of said concentric series of buttons and each provided with a longitact shoe adapted to engage either series of contact buttons.J said arm being pivoted, whereby the lamps of either series may be successively illuniined and extinguished by swinging the switch arm in the arc of a diamond-shaped l to indicate the a circle, other series of lamps of two colors osipion and course taken le and right elders of the opposing teams in catching balls driven to the out-field, other series .of contact buttons and switch arms' to control the circuit through said last mentioned series of lamps, lamps ot' tivo co1ors,to indicate the op osing catchers, pitchers, irl-field, and outeld players of the opposingteams, and suitable connections including switch arms and contact buttons to control the circuit through said last mentioned lumps. 1

In testimonywhereof I have `hereunto set my hand in presence of two su witnesses.

JOHN F. SM5,

Witnesses: 1

E. Emloxns'rox, Jr., L. O. HILTON.

ibing 

